walter r



Nov. 14, 1933.

Q. WALTER APPARATUS FOR MAKING ROOF TILES Original Filed July l0, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet PI l0 A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 14, 1933. o. WALTER Re. 18,999

APPARATUS FOR MAKING ROOF TILES Original Filed July lO, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 O v[1v1/ENTOR- 0770 WHA 716/?.

A TTORNEYS.

-Reissued Nov, 14,v 1933',

Re. 18,999l

otto Walter, Per'rysviue, Ind.

OriginalNo. 1,846,290, dated February 23, 19372,

Serial 4kNo. 466,972, July,10, 1930.y Application y for reissue August 11, 1933.

Serial No. 684,77 4

15 Claims. (Cl. 25-43) tially as ordinary Wood or paper shingles. Therefore', such indestructible roofing tile a practical substitute, economical as well as otherwise of Wood or paper shingles so that the'use of such 10 tiles instead `of such lshingles will not only provide roofs that will last much longer than shingle roofs, but will eliminate-confiagrations and savethe-country Vfrom one of the most common firefhazards.. l5 `Saidrooiing tile, or'shingle if one wishesto so call it, can beproduced byusing cement and sand,cement and burned shale, or any plastic material suitable for the manufacture or roofing.

Therefore, since the raw material can be had at almost any .point in the United States, such roofing tiles can be manufactured in any locality to great advantage, and ,thus eliminate the cost of shipping the finished product Y.for any great distance.

In making such roofing tile, the. cement and sand, or other suitable material, is formed into a thick fluid cndition,` Which will rapidly flow from the hopper or the like'by gravity preferably into one orV more `mold boxes below.' The space l fn each moldbox is uniformly divided by a large number ofy similar A.mold lplate'sor like removable mold partitions into mold chambers of similar dimensions for molding the roofing tiles. 'The mold plates are all alike so that each mold plate V will-form one sde'of one roofing tile and the opposite side of the next roofing tile. While the roofing .tiles are being formed, vas abovey stated,

the mold boxes are .constantly vibrated in order to cause the mix ofplastic material to settle quickly and uniformly :fn'between themold plates.

` Then the mold box is movedto another vibratory supportfor. further shaking down while Aasucceeding mold box is being changed, and finally the boxis slidontotrucks and taken to a curing or` dryingroom. Apparatus of convenient si'ze for carrying out-the process has'acapacity of 150 roofing tiles per minute orless. This reduces the cost of such tiles as low as, or`V lower than, ordinary shingles.

An important feature in connection with this speedy manufacture of roong tiles is the use in each mold box of a large number of ent'rely similar double faced mold plates, and, therefore,k

they may be quickly introduced and removed and will make all roofing Vtiles exact-ly similar.

This contributes greatly to the speed and uniformity of manufacture; e The full nature of theinvention will be understoodV from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claims:v 60 Inthe drawings Fig.' 1 is a vertical transverse section through the machineryfor the manufacture of 'roofing tiles asherein disclosed, one of the mold boxes and the hopper above it, however being shown in end elevation andparts in dotted lines. Fig.,2 is a side elevation of one of the lmold boxes withr the near side turned down `andthe hopper above it. Fig. 3 is aplan view 'of the mold box shown in Fig. land with only a'few mold platesv therein. Fig. 4 is a perspec- 70 tive view of a roong tile made by this invention. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one ofthe mold plates employedin making said tiles. Fig.

6 is a horizontal section on the line 6-6 of Fig.

1 through a portion of onemold box showing a 7`5 few mold plates therein and shingles beingmolded by and between them. Fig. 7 isa side elevation of the apparatus parts being broken away.

The cement roofing tile 10 made by this invention is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 6. It is relatively 80 thin and is reduced in weightby depressions 11 on one side and alongdiag'onally opposite side edges a vertical recess 12 is formed with a spacing rib 1 3 beside it. Thetwo lateral edges of the tile, therefore are similar, but reversely formed, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby th'eedges of the roofing tiles'are adapted to interlock and be placed on a roof. Each tile is provided with a plurality of nail hole`s14, as shown.

' TheV mold plates 15- are all of exactly the same 90 shape and size andare made of thin metal plate with conformations such as will adapt them to form the roofing tile above described. Each mold plate Vhas a plate-like body portion with projectin'g rib-like members 16 to form'the depressions 11 95 in the tile, and near each edgesaidmold plate has suitable conformations to provide the tile with its overlapping and'interlocking ribsand recesses l2 and 13. To Ythat endthe mold plate, as here shown, has on its two lateral edges diagonally opposite spaced ribs vor projections 17 and'18 adapted to form the grooves or recesses 12 and theribs 13 of the tile. 1 1 1 In making said tiles, there 'is'a'supply' tank 20 for the batch or mix of cement or other plastic materials in fluid form, but so'that it will readily flow by gravity. Tank 20` is stationary and has, in the form herein shown. two lateral bottom discharge openings 21 beside. a central inclined 'A-shaped partition 22 which 'causes the material o 21. The outlets may be closed by slide valves or plates 23.0perated by the hand lever 24 through connecting bars 25 and 26. Y

The mold boxes 30 are formed preferably as shown in Figs. l, 2, 3 and 6, and haves al knockdown construction by reason of the sides Bland the ends 34 being hinged at 32 to the bottom V33, so that the ends 34 and sides 31 may kbe turned down from a vertical position, as shown in Fig. 1, for `the removal of the mold plates and roofing tiles therein.

In each mold box, mold platesare. placed as." shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6, and the ends and sides, moved into closing position, asrshown in Fig; 1, and they are held in such positions by latches 35.V

" line,- whereby uniformity of the roong tiles 10 is attained; v The mold plates in the mold boxV rest upon the bottom thereof .and the tops of the mold plates are` exposed and are slightly lower than the walls ofthe mold box;kr Q

p 'rnebottom or each moldbx is provided with `a plurality of metal shoesgBS :with longitudinal concave recesses inthe underside thereofwhereby they are adapted to nt and slide on rails 39` secured-onthe jtop of thevibratory frame 40, as

seenin Fig. 1. Y.

One of the vibratory frames'40 is located below the supply-tank 20rshown in Figs. 1 and `'7. The

4mold boxes, after being equipped as hereinbefore explained, v`are placed on a factory truck 41, as seen at the right-hand end of Fig. .'7, and the truck is moved up endwise against said vibratory frame 49 and the mold boxes are transferred therefrom on the rails 39, as shownV in Fig. 1.

` After the mold boxes 30 4are under the supply tank 20, aedistributing hopper 42 is placed upon each mold box, as shown inFig. l, and under one ofthe outlets-21 of the-supply tank above. These hoppers lare preferably formed,.as shown in Fig. l, with the upper part provided with a pair of down wardly and inwardly slopingk hopper walls 43. The latter extendvabout midway'of the hopper and are vspaced apart so that the mixtureY can descend by gravity through their ,outlet 4andlbe thereafter spreadfvby theV A-shaped distributory 44 provided in said hopper with the apex centrally located ,under the outlet from the hopperchamber above'and with the bases spaced from the side walls sowas toleave'suitable outlets at thebottom through Vwhichthe material ows byk gravity rapidly into the Achambersbetween Vthe Vplates in the mold box.= Withthis hopper distributor,the ma,- terial enters ythe mold boxv near each side and ows from the sidesI towards the center of the boxuntil it lls Vthe spaces between the mold plates to the top level oftheplates. y, Y

While the moldY boxes are being charged, with cement or other'material for forming the roofing tiles,t he` mold boxes are constantly beingV vibrated laterally in order tofacilitate Athe settling of the material in the mold box and cause the material between the' mold plates which form the roofing tiles to become compact, uniform consistency.

to ow towards andV discharge through the outlets arrangement provides al series of f homogeneous and of The means for vibrating the mold boxes consists, of the vibratory frame 40 which has llateral frame bars 141 supported by,resilient vertical bars 45 which are bolted at their upper ends by the bolts 46 to the frame bars 141 and at their lower ends to the frame bars 47." VThere is a plurality of these resilient bars 45 and inl practice I have made them of hickory wood,`but they canbe made of metal or other resilient material stiff enough to supportV the frame 40 out of touch v53 on shaft 54 andpulley 55 thereonl driven fromA some suitable source of power.k It is obvious that thev lateral vibratory movement given to the mold boxes will causel the material thereinl to settlewith substantially uniform density and `42are removed and the moldV boxes advanced upon .a second vibratory frame 40where the mold boxes are further vibrated to complete the molding ofthe tiles While succeeding mold boxes are being charged. f The vibratory frame;40 and all other parts of this second .vibratory construction are the same substantially as that shown ineFig. 1. After the material inthe 4mold boxes has been given its second .shaking down, Vthe boxes areslid from the rails 39 on the second vibratoryl frame to a wheeled truck41:and then wheeled into a drying vorcuring yroom orls'pac'e,-

not shown; l

My experience has demonstrated that I can form in an apparatus ,of ordinary dimensions with two mold boxes, 150 tile's in av'minute. By the means described, the mold-boxes'are fvery quickly charged and this speed ofv production rbrings Vthe cost of theroongftiles downatleast as low as the cost of ordinaryv shingles. .i

This speed ofproductionis VdueV togvmore than one cause. Thechief cause consists in the, use

with the vertical frame bars 48 below.v The vi, bration is imparted by the connecting bars 49 VpivotedV tothe bars 141 of the vibratory frame of a plurality Vof double faced mold plates ofthe same formation so that they neednot be carefully arranged and'each mold plate willfformone side of one tile and anotherside, of 4another tilefand these double `faced mold plates can be readily removed and very quickly replacedin the ymold'boxes as they are all alike in size, shape and dimensions. Anothercause of speed of production lies intheuse'of alhopper construction substantially as shown, whereby the material is distributed initially to the lateral portions of the mold boxes. of the mold boxes to facilitate the settling of the material therein and rendering it of `uniform Another cause iszthe vibration:

density. Anotherfcause'z-is means for removing` Y the mold boxes from, beneathrffthe .supply tank 2D before vthe Vmaterial therein hasl -.completely settled andi running them onto anotherl vibra.-

, Vtory frame forthe final and complete vibration -on continuously in succession as above set forth, -and withample drying or curing room space,1a V large supply of Aroofing tiles can be manufactured at .substantially the rate of 150 a minute.

' In forming the roofing tiles as heretofore ex- -plained'-I also provide nail holes 14 in' the tiles ufor securing them to the roof. A'plishe'd-by providing the mold plates with cor- 'jresponding holes 114 and inserting wire rods 60 longitudinally throughthe mold plates in the This is 'accommold box, as shown in Fig. 2. The wire rods While a very usual form of roofing tile is shown herein rand a corresponding mold plate, the invention is not limited thereto, as the tiles and mold plate may be modied in details of construction to make various types of roofing tile, so faras this invention is concerned. Nor is the invention limited to the use of a plurality of mold boxes, nor to a mold box having room for any particular number of mold plates in it, nor to the particular construction of the slidable mounting of the mold boxes on the vibratory frames. While the invention is shown herein with the mold plates arranged lengthwise in vertical position, the invention is not limited to that position, for in making some types of tiles, it is preferable to have the mold plates placed in the box with the longitudinal dimension in horizontal position.

The invention claimed is:

1. In apparatus for making roong tiles, a mold plate consisting of a plate, and similar vertical spacing ribs along the opposite lateral edges thereof and extending beyond the plane of the plate,'whereby a plurality of adjacent mold plates can be spaced apart and form similar chambersbetween the mold plates for molding similar roofing tiles.

2. In apparatus for making roong tiles, a plurality of similar moldplates, each mold plate consisting of a plate, and similar vertical spacing ribs along the opposite lateral edges thereof and `extending beyond the plane of the plate, whereby similar tiles can be molded between said multiplicity of mold plates.

3. In apparatus for making roong tiles, a mold plate consisting of a flat plate, and similar vertical spacing ribs with a recess between them on diagonally opposite sides of the plate at the lateral edges thereof and extending beyond the plane of the plate, whereby the mold plate will be provided with spacing ribs to separate a plurality of adjacent mold plates to form chambers between them for molding similar tiles.

4. In apparatus for making roofing tiles, a plurality of similar mold plates, each consisting of a lat plate, and a plurality of vertical spacing ribs with a recess between them on diagonally opposite sides of the plate at the'v lateral edgesv thereof and extending beyond the plane of the plate, whereby the spacing ribs on the mold plates will separate them and form between them chambers for molding similar tiles.

5. In apparatus for making roofing tiles, a mold box with an open top, and a plurality of similarly formed mold plates therein, each having vertical spacing ribs on opposite sides in diagonally opposite positions near thel lateraledges, whereby the mold'box may be quickly charged with saidmold plates, and they will'form a plu'- `rality of mold chambers between them open at the .top for receiving by gravity material for molding similar 'roofing' tiles.

GJApparatus for making roongtiles, including a stationary supply tank for plastic material which can flow bygravity therefrom, a mold box .with an vopen top under said supply tank, a stationary frame below -said'supply tank, a vibratory frame for supporting the mold box, resilient means extendinglromsaid stationary frame up to said vibratory frame for supporting it so it can laterally vibrate, power driven means mounted on saidstationaryirame, and connecting bars pivoted to said vibratory frame and longitudinally reciprocated by said power means.`

7. Apparatus for making roong tiles includ ing a stationary supply tankA for plastic material which can ilow by gravity therefrom, a mold box with an open top under said supply tank, a stationaryV frame -below saidsupply tank, a vibratory frame for supporting the mold box, resilient means extending vfrom said stationary frame up to said vibratory frame for supporting it so it can laterally vibrate, power driven means mounted on said stationary frame, and connectingbars pivoted to said vibratory frame and longitudinally-reciprocated by said powermeans, a pair of parallel rails secured on said vibratory frame, and. shoes secured to the `bottom of the mold box with concave recesses on the underside to lit and slide on said rails.

8. Apparatus for making roofing tiles including a supply tank for the material with the bottom open, a slide valve for opening and closing said opening, a mold box with its upper end open and located under and space away from the opening in said supply tank, and a hopper member under the opening in the supply tank and resting upon the mold box and having in it suitably inclined plates for directing the material which flows by gravity from the supply tank and distributing the same tothe mold box as desired.

9. Apparatus for making roong tiles including a supply tank for the material with the bottom open, a slide valve for opening and closing said opening, a mold box with its upper end open and located under and spaced away from the opening in said supply tank, a hopper member resting on the mold box and under the opening in the supply tank, an A-shaped distributing member in the lower part of said hopper member for charging the material into the lateral portions of the mold box, and inclined plates in the upper part of said hopper member for concentrating the material and discharging it to the middle part of said A-shaped distributing member.

l0. Apparatus for making roong tiles including a mold box, a stationary supply tank above said mold box, and means for laterally vibrating said mold box while it is beneath the supply tank and also after it has been removed from 'charging position, whereby a second mold box may be charged while the preceding mold box is being further vibrated.

1l. Apparatus for making roong tiles includther v'ibrated while a lsucceeding .mold box is being charged, substantially as set forth.

12. In apparatus for making roong tilespa mold plate consisting of a nat plate; and similar vertical spacing ribs on diagonally opposite sides of the'plate at the-lateral edges thereof and extending beyond the plane of theplate, whereby the mold plate will be provided with spacing*` ribs to.Y separate a plurality of adjacent mold plates to form chambers between them for molding similar tiles. v, 13. In apparatus for making roong tiles, a plurality of similar mold plates,.each consisting of a at plate, and aplurality of vertical .spacing ribs on diagonally opposite sides of the plate Vat the lateral edges thereof and extending beyond the plane of the plate, vwhereby the spacing ribs on the molti plates will separate them and form Vbetween them chambers for molding similar tiles.

14; In apparatus for making roong tiles and the like, a mold box, a plurality of similargmold plates therein each extending. across said box and `ferred to the second vibrating frame and be fureach eomprisinga platehaving'a pair ofjprojecting ribs with a recess between'them formed adjacent eachv lateral edge, the outer of each pair projecting sufliciently to contact the adj'a cent plate, the inner rib of each pair 'having less projectionA thanthe outer rib, the recess between said ribs beingof lessdepth than the pro- J'ection ofthe outer ribs, and the ribs adjacent one of said edges beingonthe opposite side of the plate from edges.; l

15. In v'apparatus for making roofing .til and the like, a mold box, v.a plurality of similar mold platestherein each extending across said box and each comprising a plate rhaving a'pair of projecting ribs formed adjacent each'lateral edge,'thc

those adjacent the other of said 

